TUMOR --TRYING NOT TO THINK ABOUT IT



"Now THAT'S a growth!"

 How can you not think about a tumor that is growing inside you when you've been diagnosed with cancer?

My mother faced this problem. Her tumor interfered with her ability to swallow food and even to breathe comfortably. For her, that tumor was a huge problem. Would it grow larger? Would it take over?

It's hard to tell yourself not to think about it, isn't it? After all, you know it's there. The scans confirm it. You've probably been tested for it. How do you cope with the reality that there is a growth inside you?

Sometimes the best way to cope with a situation is to meet it head-on. Information can be a lifesaver. When my mother found out she had this tumor, she also found out what treatment could do to it. Radiation made a difference. Chemotherapy made a difference. We made a point of asking a lot of questions. We wanted to know what her best options were. Slowly, but surely, she began to feel better as her cancer treatment kicked in. When she started, she needed oxygen round the clock, to help her breathe. But as the tumor began to shrink, she could leave that tank behind. She was able to resume a more normal life and do many of the things she loved to do.

It's hard to cope with your fear about a tumor. Some people may tell you to put it aside, not think about it, or even let it go. But sometimes confronting that fear can be helpful. When you understand what the goals of your cancer treatment are, when you communicate effectively with your oncology team, you have a better understanding of how that tumor will affect your life. Much of the time, there will still be unknown factors. Will you have weeks, months, or years? Can the tumor be kept in check? And if it does grow, how will the oncology team continue to help you?

Every day, there are new ways of attacking cancer. Over the years, I've met people who have survived for decades with different forms of the disease. I've even met several Stage 4 patients, alive and kicking, despite receiving a terminal diagnosis years earlier. The truth is everyone is different. The more you understand about your own situation, the better. Sometimes the hardest thing about having a tumor isn't the tumor, but the fear of the tumor and what it means for your life.

As for that tree, I've watched it for several years now. It continues to survive, despite that enormous growth. I am always amazed that it is still there when I come upon it during a hike. I expect it to die, but it doesn't. In the spring, the leaves still come out. In the summer, I am still shaded by its canopy. In the fall, it still sheds its leaves like all of the other trees in the forest. Somehow, it goes on. Maybe you will, too. Be hopeful. Fight hard. Embrace life. With cancer, it's important to see the forest AND the trees.